Gallbladder Pain: Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery For Gallstones
The most widely recommended procedure for getting rid of gallbladder pain is laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. This procedure is also referred to as, cholecystectomy. This procedure is done to remove the gallbladder and gallstones through an incisions in the abdomen. Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery does not remove stones which are located in the gallbladder. It removes the entire organ.
Gallstones Form In The Liver
Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery does not remove stones which may be located in the bile duct either. It is uncommon for gallstones to form in the bile duct after gallbladder removal, but since gallstones are formed in the liver, it is possible to have gallstones move down the bile duct after the gallbladder is removed. That is why sometimes a repeat surgery may be required.
Inability To Digest Fat Soluble Vitamins
After laparoscopic gallbladder removal, bile will flow from the liver, through the common bile duct toward the intestines. The body can no longer store bile between meals after the gallbladder is removed. This means that after the surgery, the person will be unable to assimilate any fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. The person will be unable to assimilate any fats in the diet
The Procedure
During your laparoscopic gallbladder removal procedure, you will be asleep under general anesthetic. The surgeon uses air or carbon dioxide to inflate the abdomen in order to visualize the structures inside.
They will then insert laparoscope which has a very small video camera on the end, through a very small incision near the belly button. The camera is used as a guide, directing long, precision surgical instruments to remove the gallbladder.
During the procedure, before the gallbladder is removed, an intraoperative cholangiography may be done. This is a special type of X-ray procedure which can highlight the anatomy of the bile ducts, allowing the surgeon to assess their functioning.
In some cases, though a laparoscopic surgery is planned, the surgeon may need to switch to an open surgical method, requiring a larger incision. Open surgery can lead to increased risk of inflammation, bleeding and scarring.
The surgery will typically take about 2 hours and often, patients will go home the same day as their procedure. Within 7-10 days people can return to their normal activities in most cases. Laparoscopic surgery patients will tend to recover more quickly with minimal pain reported after the first week, lower instances of complication and no restrictions or precautions assigned afterward. Gallbladder removal patients are allowed to eat normally while in recovery. And for most individuals this means that they are told to go back to eating the same foods that caused them to get gallstones in the first place.
Surgery Complications
While we are told that the overall risks associated with laparoscopic gallbladder surgery are low, some of the more serious considerations for the procedure would include:
– Internal bleeding
– Post-operative infection.
– Injury to internal structures including the common bile duct or small intestines.
– Inherent risks of general anesthesia.
Other complications include:
– Gallstones left in the abdominal cavity.
– Gallstones being pushed into the common bile duct.
– Instrument damage to the liver.
– Bile leakage into the abdominal cavity.
The preceding complications would require secondary surgery.
Gallbladder Pain and Symptoms May Come Back Years After Gallbladder Surgery
In up to 50% of all surgeries the original gallbladder pain and gallbladder symptoms may persist or return years after surgery with the same or sometime worst intensity and longer frequency. Postcholecystectomy syndrome, refers to ongoing abdominal/digestive problems which people can experience after their gallbladder removal. Postcholecystectomy symptoms include pain, diarrhea, gas and bloating.
Natural Alternative To Relieving Gallbladder Pain
There are natural procedures that are effective in getting rid of gallstones that will dissolve the gallstones instead of surgically removing the organ. These procedure works on people of all ages and on all types of gallstones: cholesterol, uric acid and even calcified (pigmented gallstones). For more information go here.
